Article I: Purpose
Section 1. The mission of ENCUENTROS is to create a paradigm, a practical mode for social change that includes an understanding of methods to transform marginalized communities. We seek to provide a mutually supportive and learning environment in which every individual member has the opportunity to learn from one another, which in turn fosters selfconfidence and personal growth along with the creating of community collaboratives.
In order to carry out this purpose, this club shall:
- ● Help its individual member’s abilities to communicate with each other effectively
considering the possibility of language barriers.
- ● Provide for its individual members’ instructions, educational materials and opportunities
which will give them skill and experience in the development of social movements.
- ● Encourage its individual members to turn weekly lunch discussion into actual
opportunities.
- ● Increase its individual members’ knowledge of social inequalities that communities
within and outside of Pitzer College encounter.
- ● Provide opportunities and encouragement for its individual members to partake in
community organizing projects.
- ● Organizeoncampus and offcampus activities through which day laborers and students
interact and learn from one another.
Article II: Identity
Section 1. The name of this club shall be ENCUENTROS,and may only be referred to as such.
Section 2. The motto of this club should be “Turning discussions into opportunities, visions into movements, and service into justice.”
Section 3. (Tentative)The emblem of this organization shall be what appears to be a blooming flower.
Article III: Membership
Composition
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Section 1. All individual members of this club shall be students of Pitzer College. Furthemore, all day laborers should be part of the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center or the Rancho Day Laborer Center. No person shall be excluded from individual membership in, or from any program or activity of, this club because of age, race, color, creed, gender, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or physical or mental disability, so long as the individual, through his or her own effort, is able to participate in the program.
Admission to Membership
Section 2. This club is open to any student enrolled at Pitzer College. This organization
will not require students or day laborers to pay a membership fee.
Section 3. It will be made clear that any given member does not have to speak Spanish; at
all times will a translator be available for nonspanish speaking students. Moreover it is restricted for a student to inquire personal information from a day laborer.
Section 4. The individual membership of this club may be divided into two classifications: active and inactive.
Member Responsibilities
Section 5. All active individual members shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of
this club, and all individual members shall share in its responsibilities. These responsibilities shall include support of its purposes and constructive contribution to its program and activities.
Section 6. Inactive individual membership is provided for as follows: (a) Inactive individual membership in this club may be conferred by the executive board of this club on any individual member requesting an extended absence from club meetings, or who wishes to maintain individual membership without regular attendance at club meetings. An individual member may also be classified as inactive for continued absence without notice. An inactive individual member may be restored to active individual membership by the club executive board upon request. (b) Inactive individual members shall have no voting privileges, shall not hold office, and shall not be counted toward a quorum of the club membership.
Article IV: Meetings and Notice
Regular Meetings
Section 1. Regular meetings of this club, which shall include any business meeting of
active individual members, shall be held every Friday in the Pitzer Dining Hall Priate Room (fishbowl) from 12:00pm 1:30pm
Special Meetings
Section 2. Special business meetings of this club may be called by a majority vote of the
active individual members present and voting at any regular meeting at which a quorum is present, or by the club executive board or club president.
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Club Executive Board Meetings
Section 3. Meetings of the club executive board shall be held when deemed necessary. In
the interest of everyone’s valuable time, such meeting should only be called for in preparation for regular meetings or for event planning.
Notice
Section 4. Notice shall be required for our regular meetings. All meetings shall be
advertised on studenttalk and member’s email. Notice of any change in the date, time or place of any regular meeting, and notice of all special meetings, shall be given by email. Notice of special meetings shall include a statement of the general purposes of the meeting, but any membership business otherwise valid may be transacted at the meeting.
Section 5 If this club shall permanently change the time or place of regular meetings as provided in this constitution, it would require a majority vote to make such amendment.
Article V: Quorum and Voting
Quorum
Section 1. A majority of the active individual membership shall constitute a quorum for
the transaction of all business of this club. A majority of the club executive board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the board’s business.
V oting
Section 2. Each active individual member shall be entitled to one vote on any matter
presented to the club membership for a vote.
Section 3. No voting by proxy or absentee ballot shall be permitted on any matter
presented to the club membership for a vote.
Section 4. Unless a greater vote is required by this constitution in a particular matter, the
affirmative vote of at least a majority of those active individual members who are present and voting at a duly held business meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of this club.
Article VI: Executive Board
Officers
Section 1. The officers of this club shall be the Chief Executive Director, the Associate
Executive Director, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operations Officer, a Day Laborer Representative from each center, and the Director of Development. Additional positions may be added by a majority vote of the club.
Terms of Office
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Section 2. Officers shall serve for terms of one (1) year.
Resignation or Removal
Section 3. Any officer of this club may resign, provided that any such resignation must be
made in writing and delivered to the club president. Unless any such resignation is, by its terms, effective on a later date, it shall be effective on delivery to such club officer, and no acceptance by this club shall be required to make it effective. Any officer of this club may be removed from office at any time, with or without cause, by majority vote of all active individual members present and voting at a business meeting of this club.
Vacancy in Office
Section 4. Any vacancy in an office, except for the immediate past club president, shall
be filled by a special election held at the next business meeting following the announcement of the vacancy. However, it is not mandate that a vacant position be filled unless the club, by majority vote, believes it shall.
Article VII: Duties of the Officer
Chief Executive Director
Section 1. The club president is the chief executive officer of this club and is responsible
for fulfilling the mission of this club. The president presides at meetings of this club and the club executive board, and has general supervision of the operation of this club. The president shall transmit to this club for its approval or disapproval all ideas and plans proposed by any member; and shall take no action binding upon this club without either specific prior authorization or subsequent ratification by this club.
Associate Executive Director
Section 2. The vice president is the second ranking club officer and is responsible for
planning, organizing, and directing a club program which meets the educational needs of the individual members. The vice president chairs the executive board. The vice president also serves as the liaison between Pitzer College and the Day Laborer Center. The vice president shall oversee all financial transactions and oversee all maintain order in the absence of another officer. The vice president shall take no action binding upon this club without either specific prior authorization or subsequent ratification by this club.
Chief Financial Officer
Section 3. The club treasurer is responsible for club financial policies, procedures, and
controls. The club treasurer receives and disburses, with the approval of this club, all club funds; pays to ENCUENTROS all financial obligations of this club as they come due; and keeps an
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accurate account of all transactions. The club treasurer shall make financial reports to this club and to the club executive board quarterly and upon request, and shall transmit the accounts and all undistributed funds to the successor in office at the end of the club treasurer’s term.
Chief Operations Officer
Section 4. Such individual serves as the second liaison between Pitzer College and the
Day laborer Center. Main duties include ensuring that all meals for day laborers are paid for and finding transportation for day laborers from the center to Pitzer college. The Operations officer shall lead the weekly friday lunch meetings as well as publicize them.
Day Laborer Representative
Section 5. The day laborer representative will represent their respective center at all
meetings and ensure that ENCUENTROS maintains its purpose of connecting student with day laborers and vice versa.
Director of Development
Section 6. This position is primarily for event planning and shall oversee the production
of all club affairs.
Article VIII: Advisor
Section 1. There shall be at least one Pitzer College faculty or staff advisor who shall serve as an advisor to the club or organization.
Section 2. The Pitzer College faculty shall be chosen by a majority vote made by the club.
Article IX: Amendments to Club Constitution
Section 1. This constitution may be amended only by a majority of the votes cast at special meeting.